1

Anxiety:
You have symptoms of Anxiety /panic disorder. You should see your physician for a trial of some prescription anxiolytics or a referral to psych if this is a chronic problem, affecting your overall well being. In the meantime, learn some relaxation techniques to feel better!
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2

Cool environment:
Is generally more conducive for sleep. Are you anxious when you wake up? Short of breath or gasping? This could be a physiologic response to over-heating but if you answered yes to either of those questions than evaluation would be prudent. Take care.
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3

ER now:
And hold all your medications, what is happening is a bad interaction amongst the atenolol, verapamil and the DayQuil and afrin, which you shouldn't have taken in the first place. Kindly ask your doctor in the future, especially if are on such meds, good luck
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4

Less caffeine:
Caffeine, nicotine, fever, dehydration, anemia can all aggravate a tendency to get a rapid pulse. There are also problems with the electrical control of the heart that may need to be treated with medicine or sometimes other procedures. See your doctor for testing. Try to count the beats per minute when you have the symptoms to determine the actual rate, notice if it's irregular.
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5

Medical eval may be indicated:
I would suggest a visit to your physician and some routine labs obtained including thyroid function studies and a general physical examination. Your symptoms though nonspecific are worth investigating.
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6

Try breath work:
Breathing in different patterns can change your body feel and chemistry. A slow (count 3)full nasal inhale, holding it in lungs (6) and long complete blowing out like candles (8-9) will calm the anxiety. Repeat the cycle about 5 times and you'll feel the change - it lowers blood pressure too. It looks like smoking. Also, it you don't like the feeling - don't play those games - duh!
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10

Chest pains:
Chest pain radiating down your arm suggests heart disease. There is no obvious connection to cramps in the legs. To assess the type of chest pain ask these questions: 1. Does it occur with exertion or after eating or being upset? 2. Does it stop with several minutes of rest? 3. Does it feel like pressure under the middle of the sternum. 3 yes=high ; 2 yes=medium risk; 1 yes=lower; 0 yes=very low.
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11

Postnasal drip:
Postnasal dripping of mucus while you are recumbent in bed may be caused by excessive dryness or dust collection in your bedroom. I believe that the rapid heart beat is secondary to the nasal dripping and not due to cardiac pathology. Taking an antihistamine like benadryl (diphenhydramine) at bedtime may prevent symptoms but avoid decongestants like Sudafed or neosynephrine nasal spray which accelerate the heart
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12

See someone:
See a cardiologist or a primary care physician. They can place a 24 hour holter monitor, a device that records your heart beat mechanism for 24 hours. In this manner you can ascertain whether or not you are having an arrhythmia (or in other words abnormal heart rhythm). Its all guesswork until you do this.
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13

Many reasons:
A forgotten nightmare and an episode of supraventricular tachycardia are the two best bets. If it takes your breath away or is accompanied by pain, or if you feel otherwise unwell, let your physician know.
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18

Sleep issues:
I agree w dr. Ali. However need to ask if you find that you wake up gasping for breath. Do you snore? Does your partner ever witness your breathing stop. It does sound like you are developing panic in response to nightmares (which will not kill you) but if you have sleep apnea that would need evaluation by a sleep specialist. The two issues sometimes co-occur. Take care.
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21

Difficult to tell:
If you have anxiety first and then increased heart rate, the primary issue is probably anxiety with related tachycardia. If it's the other way around, then you still need to figure out the reason for tachcardia. Hyperthyroidism and suprventricular tachycardia come to mind as possibilities. You may need a holter monitor study to track your heart rate issues. You need a doctor's help with this.
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22

Anxiety help:
Are you sure it's anxiety? Make sure you get checked out by a physician. If you've had it checked out by a physician ask for a referral for some therapy. There are lots of ways to manage anxiety and panic and you can work with a therapist to figure out the way that is best for you. Some tried and true techniques for help in these areas are yoga and meditation. Good luck and best wishes.
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23

Yes:
A racing heart is not an essential panic symptom, especially if you have a condition or are taking meds that control heart rate. An overwhelming feeling of panic, rapid breathing, weakness in limbs, butterflies in stomach, difficulty focusing, a desire to run, or feeling like you wish to jump out of your skin are common. See a provider for a workup if you are worried. Anxiety can be treated.
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24

Racing heart:
You should contact you obstetrician right away. Sometimes this is related to the weight and fluid gained during pregnancy, but you should see your doctor to make sure that the infant is getting enough blood and nutrients.
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26

Need to Evaluate:
Stimulant medicines can cause an increase in heart rate. For many people this is not a significant issue, but for some people it can be a concern. It would be worthwhile for you to contact your prescribing physician asap for further guidance. My recommendation would be to not continue the Concerta until this matter can be evaluated.
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27

See a Doctor:
There are many reasons for "racing heart" symptoms. You need at least an ekg and maybe an echocardiogram to find the cause. There are many different treatments available that are effective but you have to have the correct diagnosis to apply the right treatment.
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30

It depends:
On what happens to you. In some people, Ambien (zolpidem) can cause a rapid heart rate as a side effect. This may or may not happen to you. In general, I try to avoid sleeping pills all together.
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